Numbers continue to dwindle as the Illinois basketball coaching staff looks to button up the class of 2021.
A variety of players have been on the Illini big board the past year or so, but only one player has committed to the program. Luke Goode, a northern Indiana native, is the lone man standing for the Orange and Blue in 2021. But there are sure to be more join the party in the coming months.
One of the most recent targets to eliminate the Illini from contention was Rafael Pinzon. A guard from the east coast, Pinzon was someone the Writing Illini had chatted with and I thought was going to end up coming to Champaign. Not only did the guard not come to Champaign, but Illinois didn’t even make his top three.
Guard play for the Illini could get pretty sketchy here in a couple of years with so many talented players departing or potentially departing the program. Having Pinzon join the team would have helped tremendously. But the coaching staff must move on to other top recruits who could come to Illinois.
There are still quite a few players who haven’t pledge their commitment to a college program yet. With what I believe are three scholarships to fill for 2021, the Illini have a pool they could add that would help this team from day one.
Here are the top four best options for the Illini class of 2021.